I wrote my first poem at seven and showed it to my mother．She read and cried, “Buddy, you really wrote a beautiful poem!” Shyly but ________, I said yes．She poured out her ________. “It was nothing short of talent!” “What time will Father be home?” I asked．I could hardly wait to ________ my work to him．I spent quite some time ________ for his arrival. I wrote the poem out in my finest handwriting and ________ I placed it right on my father’s plate on the dining table. I was sure he would ________ my poem.
At almost 7 o’clock my father burst in. He seemed ________. He circled the dining-room table, complaining about his employees. Suddenly he glared at his plate. “What is this?” “Ben, Buddy has written a poem!” my mother began. “And it’s beautiful, absolutely amaze…”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to decide for myself.” Father said. I ________ my head as he read that poem. It was only ten lines. But it seemed to take hours. Then I heard him dropping the poem back on the table. Now came the moment of ________.“I think it’s terrible,” he said. I couldn’t look up. My eyes were getting ________.
“Ben, these are the first lines of poetry he’s ever written,” my mother was saying. “He needs ________.”
I couldn’t ________ it another second. I ran from the dining room crying. Up in my room I ________ myself on the bed and cried the worst of the ________ out of me.
That may have been the end of the story, but not of its ________ for me. I realized how fortunate I had been. I had a mother who said, “I think it’s wonderful!” and a father who drove me to hear with “I think it’s ________.”
Every one of us needs that mother force, from which all ________ flows; and yet the mother force alone is incomplete. It needs the balance of the force that cautions, “Watch. Listen. Review. Improve.”
Those ________ voices of my childhood ________ in my ears through the years, like two opposing winds blowing me. Between the two poles of ________ and doubt, both in the name of love, I try to follow my true course．
1.A. typicallyB. proudlyC. anxiouslyD. honestly
2.A. motivationB. shockC. criticismD. praise
3.A. reciteB. describeC. showD. introduce
4.A. waitingB. preparingC. prayingD. planning
5.A. graduallyB. desperatelyC. confidentlyD. casually
6.A. appreciateB. reviseC. readD. polish
7.A. relaxedB. calmC. nobleD. upset
8.A. shookB. loweredC. raisedD. turned
9.A. decisionB. excitementC. determinationD. devotion
10.A. darkB. wideC. wetD. bright
11.A. arrangementB. judgmentC. encouragementD. adjustment
12.A. holdB. attainC. controlD. stand
13.A. threwB. seatedC. leftD. kept
14.A. confusionB. pressureC. disappointmentD. tiredness
15.A. challengeB. developmentC. difficultyD. significance
16.A. elegantB. awful
C. fluentD. controversial
17.A. failureB. creationC. limitD. improvement
18.A. inspiringB. warningC. disturbingD. conflicting
19.A. callB. soundC. ringD. hear
20.A. praiseB. restrictionC. distrustD. disapproval
Do you have any problem with time? Start doing these and you will see the difference.
●Write it down
Don’t rely on your memory to keep track of every little detail. 1. Write down the things you need to do in a small notebook, or use online tool to create and update your “to-do” list.
● 2.
Working for long periods without a break can waste your time. It is more efficient to work or study for a shorter period of time, take a break, and then go back to work. You may get more done in tow focused 45-minute sessions.
● One thing at a time
3. Do one thing at a time, and do it well. As the Chinese proverb says, “One cannot manage too many affairs. Like pumpkins in the water, one pops up while you try to hold down the other.”
● Schedule email time
On your cell phone you get a notification every time someone sends you an email. If so, you have to check your email many, many times a day. 4. Schedule time to check your email. It doesn’t matter when.
● Choose to say “No”.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed if we say “yes” to everything. Think about the task before you commit to it. Do you need to do it? Can someone else do it? Avoid saying “yes” to every request. 5.
● Keep a goal journal
Write down your goals in a journal and evaluate them regularly. Mark your progress for each goal. Be sure you take the necessary step to achieve your goals.
A. Make a list first
B. Don’t skip the breaks
C. Turn that notification off
D. Memory is not always accurate
E. Don’t forget to focus on your task
F. This takes time away from more important tasks
G. Every time we switch from one task to another, we lose focus
Not all bodies of water are so evidently alive as the Atlantic Ocean, an S-shaped body of water covering
33 million square miles. The Atlantic has, in a sense, replaced the Mediterranean as the inland sea of Western civilization. Unlike real inland seas, which seem strangely still, the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness. It is perhaps not surprising that its vitality has been much written about by ancient poets.
“Storm at Sea”, a short poem written around 700, is generally regarded as one of mankind’s earliest artistic representations of the Atlantic.
When the wind is from the west
All the waves that cannot rest
To the east must thunder on
Where the bright tree of the sun
Is rooted in the ocean’s breast.
As the poem suggests, the Atlantic is never dead and dull. It is an ocean that moves, impressively and endlessly. It makes all kinds of noise-it is forever thundering, boiling, crashing, and whistling.
It is easy to imagine the Atlantic trying to draw breath-perhaps not so noticeably out in mid-ocean, but where it meets land, its waters bathing up and down a sandy beach. It mimics(模仿)nearly perfectly the steady breathing of a living creature. It is filled with symbiotic existences, too: unimaginable quantities of creatures, little and large alike, mix within its depths in a kind of oceanic harmony, giving to the waters a feeling of heartbeat, a kind of sub-ocean vitality. And it has a psychology. It has personalities: sometimes peaceful and pleasant, on rare occasions rough and wild; always it is strong and striking.
1. Unlike real inland seas, the Atlantic Ocean is __________.
A. always energetic B. lacking in liveliness
C. shaped like a square D. favored by ancient poets
2. What is the purpose of using the poem “Storm at Sea” in the passage?
A. To describe the movement of the waves.
B. To show the strength of the storm.
C. To represent the power of the ocean.
D. To prove the vastness of the sea.
3.What does the underlined word “symbiotic” mean?
A. Living together. B. Growing fast.
C. Moving harmoniously. D. Breathing peacefully.
4.In the last paragraph, the Atlantic is compared to __________.
A. a beautiful and poetic place
B. a flesh and blood person
C. a wonderful world
D. a lovely animal
One afternoon, after finishing shopping in a supermarket, my family and I went to the checkout. I suddenly thought we didn’t need any of the junk, and we abandoned all of those, saving $300.
That got me thinking about all our pointless expenses in life. With a promise that we’d stop if it was killing us, I convinced the family to take the leap into frugality(节俭). The rules were that we would buy nothing for 30 days except absolutely essentials.
Our adventure began with a great start. By 9 a.m., my wife, Ruth, had already made cakes from old strawberries and picked flowers I didn’t even know we had in the garden. I cleared the car by hand for the first time for years. I read and returned the neighbor’s newspaper before he woke up. Total spending on the first day: $0.
As days turned into weeks, we became so proficient(熟练的) at living frugally. We started riding our bikes to save gas. My child’s finger painting was recycled as gift wrap for the homemade presents. We started to use an Internet application like Skype for free phone calls and ask neighbors with gardens for extra vegetables and herbs.
In the end, we saved more than $2000 by not spending for a month. When we began, I imagined we would rush out the moment we were done and buy a lot of things in the supermarket, then maybe hit the mall or go to the movies.
1.We can infer from the passage that before that very afternoon, the family _________.
A. had had higher income
B. had had a good habit of saving money
C. had often spent money without thinking much
D. hadn’t realized they would have met financial problems
2.How many things were mentioned about the things the family did to save on the first day of the “30 days”?
A. Two.B. Three.C. Four.D. Five.
3.The end of the story tells the readers that the family _________.
A. stopped halfway
B. couldn’t stand the life of frugality
C. would make up for missing the junk after the “30 days”
D. succeeded in saving in the end
4.This passage is mainly about _________.
A. how a family managed their daily life
B. a family’s no-buying try
C. a family’s way of solving life problems
D. how a new idea came up
If you want a little extra security against thieves stealing your bicycle, designer Dennis Siegel has designed a solution. The RFID Bikealarm is attached to the seat on a bicycle and gives off an alarm when it senses movement.
“The RFID Bikealarm is meant to be a useful add-on to mechanical bicycle locks because it greatly extends the range of protection with only a few components,” Siegel explains on his website. “It is low-cost, durable and easy to use.”
The Bikealarm was designed as part of Siegel’s Bachelor’s degree thesis at the University of the Arts Bremen in Germany. The device will scare off any would-be thieves the moment they begin to steal the bicycle to which it is attached. It is able to continuously sense the environment to distinguish between specific events, for instance a passing tram / car and a serious theft.
Siegel created a working model of an alarm that would sound when it sensed movement, but wasn’t initially sure how it would be best attached to a bicycle. “I decided to mount it to the rails of the seat because it allows for comfortable interaction and the position is less obvious as it looks like a small repair kit,” he says.
Siegel chose to use RFID technology rather than Bluetooth to keep the costs down. Siegel explains that the most difficult aspect of creating the alarm was to get the electronic circuit down to a small enough size.
The device runs off a kind of battery that can be charged by USB within 2 hours and lasts for a few days with normal use. As the Bikealarm is only at development stage, Siegel hasn’t signed any agreements to put it on the market.
1.When it senses movement, the RFID Bikealarm will ________.
A. make a warning soundB. fasten the bicycle tightly
C. shake the bicycle quicklyD. call the police automatically
2.Which of the following shows the right position of the RFID Bikealarm on a bicycle?
3.What do we know about the RFID Bikealarm?
A. It can’t tell between specific events.
B. It is very difficult to use.
C. It uses a kind of battery for power.
D. It depends on Bluetooth technology.
4.It can be inferred from the last two paragraphs that ________.
A. the electronic circuit is a little larger
B. it’s very easy to make a Bikealarm
C. it costs too much at present
D. not many Bikealarms are produced
Are you looking for something to do? You might like to try one of these four experiences.
Crocodile watching
Do you fancy getting up close to some of the most terrifying animals on earth? Crocosaurus Cove, in Darwin (Australia) has the “Cage of Death”. It’s an enclosure that’s lowered into a pool. This gives you a 360 degree view of a crocodile as it’s being fed. The cable broke once and the cage sank to the bottom, but they’ve fixed it since then.
EdgeWalk
How about walking along the edge of a building several hundred meters up in the air? If that sounds like fun, head off to the CN Tower in Toronto (Ontario, Canada). Built in 1976, the tower is 553.33 meters tall.
The EdgeWalk consists of a 20-30 minute stroll along a 1.5 meter wide platform that runs around the tower’s restaurant roof. During the walk, you’re encouraged to lean forwards as you look over Toronto’s skyline (轮廓线).
Plastic ball rolling
Do you fancy rolling down a hill in a plastic ball? Plastic ball rolling is popular all over the world, but the place to give it a go is in Rotorua (New Zealand). Brother David and Andrew Akers came up with the idea in 1994. A typical orb (球) is about 3 meters in diameter, with an inner orb size of about 2 meters. There’s no brake or steering mechanism, but the inner layer of the plastic ball helps absorb the shock.
Volcano bungee jumping
If you’re looking for the adventure of a lifetime, how about going bungee jumping off a helicopter into the crater of a live volcano? As part of the jumping, a helicopter ride takes you to the Villarrica volcano, one of the most active in Chile. Once you’re at the drop zone, you leap off the helicopter and fall into the volcano. Finally, you enjoy the ride back to the airport flying at 130kph.
Attracted by the above? If so, please contact us. Only half price from March 22 to April 25th. For more information, please click here.
1.According to the passage, there was an accident once when people ________.
A. jumped into the Villarrica volcano
B. walked along the platform of the CN Tower
C. rolled down a hill in a plastic ball in Rotorua
D. watched crocodiles in the “Cage of Death” in Darwin
2.Which of the following was first invented in New Zealand?
A. EdgeWalk.
B. Crocodile watching.
C. Plastic ball rolling.
D. Volcano bungee jumping.
3.It can be inferred that all the four experiences are ________.
A. interesting sportsB. exciting and extreme
C. held on high placesD. fit for middle to old people
